The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939: Two Camps, Two Discourses

The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 became a tragedy that divided the country into two camps and affected millions of Spanish citizens. Between the warring parties, along with the military, there was a deep ideological confrontation. The political discourse turned to be the weapon of the struggle for ideological hegemony. For each side, it became the most important tool for achieving victory. In the article we intent to determine, basing on the key documents of the beginning and the end of the civil war, the main concepts that formed the cognitive space of the discourse of the winners and the discourse of the losers. The study is built in accordance with a systemic approach, which combines the methodology of historical analysis with cognitive and discursive analysis. It allows us to investigate the discourse of the civil war through the prism of two scientific paradigms, revealing its cognitive content, determined by its historical and socio-political perspective. Building through the discourse the necessary type of relations between various political forces and social groups has become common practice for political players. The discourse opens the opportunity for its active modeling the world rather than for passive cognition and conceptualization of it. On the current stage of the socio-political development of Spain, the historical legacy of the civil war provokes a new controversy and restores a split in society. The study of the main concepts of the discourse of the winners and the losers contributes to a deeper understanding of the past in order to avoid imposing erroneous interpretation of history in favor of short-term political preferences.